A Shawano family’s trip to Haiti later this month was the catalyst for a service project at Shawano Community Middle School.
Almost a dozen students put together Healthy Haiti Baby Bundles that will go to poor families in Haiti. Sixth-grader Haley Williams and her family will leave for Haiti on March 28 with the supplies collected by students — more than 1,000 items total — in February.
Students who brought in the most items will be rewarded with candy from the school’s store, and the homeroom that brought in the most items will get soft pretzels.
Sixth-grade teacher Lela Schwitzer helped organize the drive with the Williams family.
Schwitzer had done a fundraiser years ago at Gresham Community School in which items were collected for “love bundles” for those in need. The bundles carried the basic essentials that many Americans take for granted.
The Haitian bundles put together by students on Tuesday afternoon contain baby bottles, spoons, wash cloths and bars of antibacterial soap. Toothbrushes and cans of powdered baby formula will be sent separately.
When Schwitzer and the Williams family hit upon the service project idea, they contacted the Green Bay-based Friends of Haiti to determine how the middle school students could help.
“They said that the biggest need was for infants,” Schwitzer said. “They’re starving; they’re malnourished. I did a little research on this, and the biggest thing they need is food.”
Schwitzer noted the larger cans of baby formula cost $13, a price that is affordable for many area families but far too expensive in impoverished countries such as Haiti.
“This is how students at Shawano Community Middle School can help children in some of the poorest countries in our hemisphere,” Schwitzer said. “It’s important for us to know that, even though we’re in little old Shawano, we can help kids far away.”
Jodi Williams, Haley’s mother, said she was surprised at how much stuff the students collected.
“It’s just so touching to see the goodness in our community,” Williams said. “This exceeds every expectation I had.”
She said her husband had gone on a goodwill mission with Friends of Haiti last fall, and the trip later this month is a chance for her whole family to see the situation first-hand and to provide support.
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